Cyber Shadow
The world has been taken over by synthetic lifeforms. A desperate plea for help sets Shadow, the sole survivor of his clan, on one last mission to uncover what started the path to perpetual ruin.
Sync your Steam wishlist to find the lowest game prices instantly. No login required, just paste your Steam profile URL!
⚡ Try Wishlist Radar!
Sync your Steam wishlist to find the lowest game prices instantly. No login required!
⚡ Try Wishlist Radar!
Close
The Messenger on Steam
Quick menu
As a demon army besieges his village, a young ninja ventures through a cursed world, to deliver a scroll paramount to his clan’s survival. What begins as a classic action platformer soon unravels into an expansive time-traveling adventure full of thrills, surprises, and humor.
The Messenger is a retro, platformer and metroidvania game
developed by Sabotage
and published by Devolver Digital.
Released on August 30th 2018 is available on Windows, Steam Deck and Steam Machine
in 10 languages: English, French, German, Spanish - Spain, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese - Brazil and Russian.
It has received 10,719 reviews of which 9,861 were positive and 858 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.9 out of 10. 😎
The game is currently priced at 19.50€ on Steam, but you can find it for 2.47€ on K4G.
The Steam community has classified The Messenger into these genres:
Retro
Platformer
Metroidvania
Pixel Graphics
Ninja
2D
Great Soundtrack
Indie
Action
2D Platformer
Singleplayer
Funny
Action-Adventure
Difficult
Time Travel
Adventure
Side Scroller
Comedy
Beautiful
Epic
Here is the detailed breakdown of supported languages for The Messenger:
| UI | Subtitle | Audio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | |||
| German | |||
| French | |||
| Korean | |||
| Spanish - Spain | |||
| Simplified Chinese | |||
| Traditional Chinese | |||
| Russian | |||
| Japanese | |||
| Portuguese - Brazil |
Media & Screenshots
Get an in-depth look at The Messenger through various videos and screenshots.
Load More
System requirements
These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.
Windows
- OS *: Windows 7 Service Pack 1 or newer (64 bit)
- Processor: Intel core i5-4210 1.7ghz
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 4400
- Storage: 1200 MB available space
- Sound Card: Onboard soundcard or better
Steam Price & Best Deals
User reviews & Ratings
Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.
The Messenger is an hommage to the NES Ninja Gaiden series but midway through the game it transforms into a metroidvania! Great bosses, memorable NPC`s, an amazing present/future mechanic which pays tribute to 8bit and 16bit action games and graphics and above all else, The Messenger will actually make you laugh out loud with its humour and witty dialogue! Hands down one of the best games I have ever played!
“The Messenger” is a genuinely fantastic game. It perfectly blends challenging platforming with exploration, backed by incredible music, writing, and art direction. As someone who usually dislikes Metroidvanias, I was hooked all the way through the DLC. I never got bored. If you’re on the fence, just buy it. It’s so much more than it initially seems, and one of those rare games where the developers’ passion truly shines through. I can’t recommend it enough.
2 words : Absolute Cinema. The combat and platforming itself feel really smooth The switch-up between 8-bit (past) and 16-bit (future) works really well altering both the sound quality as well as the area you're currently in It has some great banter between the shopkeeper NPC and the main character for some hilarious dialogue. Absolute bangers playing throughout the entire game as well. 10/10 game
Ok, so - I finished it. And... it's complicated. The messenger is an overall good game with fun and innovative gameplay ideas. It's a bit of a raw diamond, that could do with a bit more refinement. I taught level design and balancing in a course for game design, and here are some points that I would pic up with my students: - Gameplay mechanics: The game uses a series of well tested traversal and combat mechanics for metroidvania games and tweaks them in a way that doesn't make them feel outdated while giving you options, depending on playstile. On the other hand they are not implemented in a way that requires a very precise application or timing, meaning "mashing" works most of the time. Press three buttons at the same time and most likely one of them is going to get you somewhere.... - Balancing.: ... until it doesn't. There are passages that suddenly require the very precise application of mechanics with perfect timing. When you're used to rather easily breezing through 90% of the sections, these skill-gates can seem rather frustrating and can seriously interrupt the pace of the gameplay. Enemies and bosses however feel well designed and balanced - some are a bit challenging but never to a degree where it get's frustrating. Overall the game is rather forgiving (except for certain sections) unlike many of the old 8/16-Bit Platformers it pays homeage to (e.g. ninja gaiden or megaman). However, this makes single sections that really test your patience seem even more out of place. - Pacing 2.: The overall pacing of the game is unfortunately rather unbalanced and feels... lenghty. I believe the game would have profited from 2-3 fewer areas, alternatively reducing the lenght of each area by about 1/5. This becomes even more apparent when shifting from the linear section of the game to the metroidvania part. The third part of the game also drags out slightly too long. - Story and Setting: I did really like the story arc, the characters and the dialogue. I loved the shopkeeper and his consorts. There's a lot of humour but also heart in there, with some fun plot twists as well. - Visuals: Trying not to give too much away, the graphics distinction for the different game-settings was really cool and a great idea, that followed through to the end. Visually the game is also lovingly crafted with well though through design choices. This becomes even more evident in the 16-Bit sections, where it feels developers made an effort to put as much detail into the surrounding environment as they could, making up for the limitations they faced in the 8-Bit parts. I think summing it up, I really did enjoy the game for the most part. I took my time with it, didn't necessarily follow the hints in the second part of the game and chose to explore by myself. That may have also played into the game dragging on a bit. However, all in all a good game that I can recommend.
Similar games
View all
Axiom Verge
Explore and uncover the mystery of a surreal alien world by blasting aliens and glitching your environment in this intense retro side-scrolling action/adventure.
Guns of Fury
Guns of Fury is a retro-inspired action platformer that combines the run & gun and Metroidvania genres. Explore a vast interconnected world, gain new abilities and weapons, battle epic bosses and stop the plans of an evil corporation before it’s too late!
Blaster Master Zero 2
Join Jason, Eve, and Fred on an intergalactic journey! The side-scrolling/top-down hybrid action adventure title "Blaster Master Zero" returns with its long-awaited sequel! Experience the yet-untold story of Jason and Eve after defeating Earth's mutant scourge in "Blaster Master Zero".
Blaster Master Zero
Mutant scum never learn! Blaster Master Zero makes its Steam debut! Blaster Master Zero is a 8-bit style top-down & sideview 2D action-adventure game that hearkens back to the golden age of the NES. The game features new gameplay elements such as improved gameplay, and a more robust scenario.
Xeodrifter
Xeodrifter is the story of an interstellar drifter traveling the stars on a simple mission of exploration. We join our nomad as he embarks on the investigation of a small cluster of four planets in the omega sector, after a collision with a rogue asteroid damaged his warp core.
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon
Battle with swords and whips in this retro-style action game brought to you by game creator Koji Igarashi and Inti Creates! Play as Zangetsu, a demon slayer bearing a deep grudge, who must travel through perilous lands to defeat a powerful demon lurking in a dark castle.
Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove
Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove is the complete Shovel Knight collection, containing all 5 games in the epic saga! Dig, blast, slash, and bash your way through a fantastical, 8-bit inspired world of pixel-perfect platforming, memorable characters, and world-class action-adventure gameplay.
Odallus: The Dark Call
The old gods have forgotten this land. No one could save our people when darkness started spreading and collecting human souls for its army. Odallus is a classic exploration/action game, inspired by Ghosts’n Goblins, Demon’s Crest and Castlevania.
Super Life of Pixel
Join Pixel as he quests through gaming history, teleporting across the most iconic video game systems of generations past. He’ll have to jump, dodge and play smart if he wants to survive all the traps, puzzles and enemies waiting to take him down at every turn.
You Have to Win the Game
You Have to Win the Game is a free exploration platformer with a retro 1980s PC aesthetic.
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2
Koji Igarashi and Inti Creates are back with more retro sword-and-whip action! Curse of the Moon 2 brings classic 2D action and a dark, 8-bit aesthetic together with modern playability.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Messenger is currently priced at 19.50€ on Steam.
No, The Messenger is currently not on sale. You can purchase it for 19.50€ on Steam.
Yes, The Messenger received 9,861 positive votes out of a total of 10,719 achieving a rating of 8.94.
😎
The Messenger was developed by Sabotage and published by Devolver Digital.
Yes, The Messenger is playable and fully supported on Windows.
No, The Messenger is not playable on MacOS.
No, The Messenger is not playable on Linux.
Yes, The Messenger is playable and fully supported on Steam Deck.
Yes, The Messenger is playable and fully supported on Steam Machine.
No, The Messenger does not support VR.
The Messenger is a single-player game.
Yes, there are 5 DLCs available for The Messenger. Explore additional content available for The Messenger on Steam.
No, The Messenger does not support mods via Steam Workshop.
Yes, The Messenger supports Remote Play on TV. Discover more about Steam Remote Play.
Yes, The Messenger is enabled for Steam Family Sharing. This means you can share the game with authorized users from your Steam Library, allowing them to play it on their own accounts. For more details on how the feature works, you can read the original Steam Family Sharing announcement or visit the Steam Family Sharing user guide and FAQ page.
You can find solutions or submit a support ticket by visiting the Steam Support page for The Messenger.
Data sources
The information presented on this page is sourced from reliable APIs to ensure accuracy and relevance. We utilize the Steam API to gather data on game details, including titles, descriptions, prices, and user reviews. This allows us to provide you with the most up-to-date information directly from the Steam platform.
Additionally, we incorporate data from the SteamSpy API, which offers insights into game sales and player statistics. This helps us present a comprehensive view of each game's popularity and performance within the gaming community.
Last Updates| Steam data | 27 September 2026 12:27 UTC |
|---|---|
| SteamSpy data | 11 October 2026 06:12 UTC |
| Steam price | 11 October 2026 02:56 UTC |
| Steam reviews | 28 September 2026 10:09 UTC |
If you'd like to dive deeper into the details about The Messenger, we invite you to check out a few dedicated websites that offer extensive information and insights. These platforms provide valuable data, analysis, and user-generated reports to enhance your understanding of the game and its performance.
- SteamDB - A comprehensive database of everything on Steam about The Messenger
- SteamCharts - Analysis of The Messenger concurrent players on Steam
- ProtonDB - Crowdsourced reports on Linux and Steam Deck The Messenger compatibility
19.50€
Visit Store
🔥 Deal
-88%
19.50€
2.47€
Buy Now
-88%
19.50€
2.52€
Visit Store
-87%
19.50€
2.69€
Visit Store
-46%
19.50€
10.69€
Visit Store
Game modes
Features
Online players
52
Developer
Sabotage
Publisher
Devolver Digital
Release
30 Aug 2018
Platforms
Remote Play
Clicking and buying through these links helps us earn a commission to maintain our services.